Agility developing device



July 9, W. J. LACY AGILITY DEVELOPING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1962 f Wo/fer d lacy INVENTOR.

BYBIW V Solvw v ,4/744/0 l ATTOF/VEVJ 3,096,979 AGILITY DEVELGPING DEVICE Walter J. Lacy, San Antonio, Tex. Gasadena Royal Apts., 1-71, 2120 Strawberry Road, Pasadena, Tex.) Filed May 15, 1962, Ser. No. 194,787 3 Claims. (Cl. 272-57) This invention relates to the art of training athletes, and to devices useful for the development of agility, endurance, speed and coordination of bodily movement of an athlete during such training.

One of the principal objects in training athletes is to develop speed and coordination of bodily movement in changing from one position to another in response to changing positions of an opponent or an object, such as a ball, with which a game is played. Although this i true of substantially all sports, such as boxing, football, soccer, basketball, baseball and other games in which players oppose each other, it is not believed that machines especially designed to develop speed and coordination of bodily movements, other than the commonly used football charging machines and tackling dummies, have been developed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for training athletes which is effective for developing speed and coordination of bodily movements.

Another object is to provide a device for moving a target, .or set of targets, simulating positions of an opposing player, or object such as a ball with which an athletic game is played, irregularly and rapidly, simultaneously or selectively in reciprocating and arcualte motion.

Another object is to provide a device of the above type which is easily moved by a coach or trainer at speeds exceeding a speed with which a trainee can adjust his body stance to conform thereto.

Another object is to provide a device of the above type by which proper stance of la trainees body in response to varying positions of an opponent or object may be taught and practiced in detail at increasing speeds.

Another object is to provide a device of the above type which is useful in training athletes in all sports where the position of an object with Which the game is played or the stance of an opponents body relative to that of the player are important factors.

Another object is to provide a device of the above type which does not require contact with a trainees body for effective training.

Still another object is to provide a device for the above type in which trainees remain substantially in front of a trainer during practice and may be observed by the trainer from a direction related to a direction at which an opposing player would be located.

Another object is to provide a device of the above class which is simple, rugged and cheap in construction and is easy to operate.

The present invention includes a target, or when several athletes are to be trained simultaneously as may be des' able in training football linesmen or backfield men, a number of targets corresponding to the number of trainees.

The target, or targets, are mounted upon a suitable target-carrying member which include a beam. When only one target is to be used, it may be attached to an end of the beam; but when several targets are to be used for simultaneous training of a corresponding number of players, it is preferred that a crossbar be attached to the end of the beam. Both beam and crossbar should be of light material such as hollow, square metallic pipe. The beam should be of non-circular cross section preferably having flat top and bottom sides so that it may reciprocate easily through a means for mounting the target-carrying member for simultaneous or selective arcuate and reciprocating motion.

The means for mounting the target-carrying member is Patented July 9, 1963 carried upon a support at a suitable distance above ground level. This support may be of any kind such as a single, Weighted pedestal, or a post set in the ground, but an open framework mounted on means for easy transportation from place to place is preferred. The most preferred construction of this sort is an open framework made of angle iron or pipe in the form of a pyramid preferably having a square base. This support can be padded if desired but padding on the support is usually unnecessary since a trainee will seldom fall against the support or otherwise come in contact with the support or targetcarrying member during practice with this device.

The means for mounting the targetscar'rying member may include a ball joint or universal joint arrangement providing spherical arcuate motion of a socket through which the beam of the target-carrying member reciprooates if desired, but preferably it merely includes a pivot providing lateral arcuate motion only, since the spherical arcuate motion is seldom necessary and operating the device in spherical arcuate motion is very fatiguing to a coach or trainer. A pivot providing .for lateral arcuate motion only may easily be constructed so that a means for moving the beam at selected speed in irregular reciprocating and arcuate motion, which is preferably merely a handle operated by the coach, does not have to carry any of the weight of the target-carrying member. Thus, a coach or trainer may use the machine for .a maximum period of time without undue fatigue.

The beam, and crossbar if a crossbar is used, are of such length that the coach can easily move the target at speeds so great that an athlete cannot maintain his bodily stance in proper relationship to the target. The targets may be moved as slowly as necessary in order to teach the proper bodily stance in response to each position of an opponent. The targets can thus be moved at any speed the coach may select so that increase in speed in shifting from one stance to another thus can easily be developed.

In the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used throughout to designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred embodiment of thisinvention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, of a :means for mounting the target-carrying member for reciprocating and arcuate motion.

In the drawings, the reference numeral .5 designates generally a support, illustrated as an open pyramidal framework and mounted upon a pair of skids 6 so that it may be easily moved from place to place.

The inward converging frame members 7 carried by the skids are attached at their tops to a horizontal plate 8, preferably by welding. Plate 8 serves as a base for a means, designated generally by the reference numeral 9, for mounting a target-carrying member on the support for simultaneous or selective arcuate and reciprocating motion.

The mounting means 9 includes a socket member having a base plate It) and a pair of opposed upturned sides 11 preferably made integral with the base plate or at least firmly attached thereto. A pair of upper and lower rollers 12 are carried by the side members 11 adjacent to opposite ends thereof and each pair of rollers is spaced to receive a beam 17 of a target-carrying member therebetween, thus providing for reciprocating motion of the beam through means 9.

A pair of opposed plates 13 and 14 are disposed between the base plate 10 and plate 8 carried by the frame members 7. The plates 13 and 14 preferably have matching portions of their opposed surfaces formed as bearing races to receive anti-friction bearings, illustrated as balls 15, between the plates. The lower plate 14 is rigidly attached to plate 8 carried by the frame by means of screws 16 While the base plate It is similarly attached by screws 16a to the upper plate 13. A pivot 22 is provided on which plate 13 may turn in a lateral plane relative to plate 14. This arrangement thus provides for simultaneous or selective arcuate and reciprocating motion ofthe beam 17.

The target-carrying member illustrated includes the beam-17 which is preferably of hollow, square, metallic construction and light in Weight. Beam 1.7 is attached to a crossbar 18 by lightweight attachment members 19. The crossbar 18 can be of any desired length and have any desired number of targets, illustrated as three, attached thereto. A handle 21 .is rigidly connected to beam :17 opposite to the crossbar 18 and provides means formoving the target-carrying member and targets carried thereon at any desired speed in arcuate and reciprocating motion. The manually operable handle is preferred to any type of motor operated drive so that a coach can move the targetsin an irregular manner to prevent development of an expected sequence of positions.

It is believed that the operation of this device will be evident from the above description. A coach or trainer may stand behind the handle 21 and at least one trainee who is to be taught proper bodily stance in response. to movements of an opponent or an object with which the game is played takes his position in front of one of the targets 20. The coach thus stands where he has an unobstructed view of the trainee at all times and by slowly moving a target 20 he can teach the trainee the most effective positions the trainee should assume in response to movements of an opponent.

As soon as these bodily movements are learned, the coach can speed up the changes; and since the beam 17 and crossbar 18 are relatively long, light and firmly supported upon the support 5, he can easily move the target 20 irregularly at speeds too great for the trainee to adjust himself to. Thus, by gradually increasing the speed to which the trainee must adjust his bodily stance, speed, poise and bodily coordination are taught. It has been found thatwith a device of this type a coach can easily exhaust .a player in a very few minutes by keeping him at extreme speed at all times although the manual labor expended by the coach is not so :great that he cannot continue with as many additional trainees as it may be desired to put through this sort of practice.

From the, foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one -well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the device.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. A device for training athletes comprising in combination a support includinga truncated pyramidal framework and a horizontal member mounted thereon; a target-carrying member including a light weight beam of non-circular cross section and a crossbar attached to an end of the beam; three targets attached to the targetcarrying member substantially equidistant from each other; means for mounting the beam on the support for simultaneous arcuate and reciprocating movement including a horizontal pivoted plate having a socket on its upper side corresponding in cross section to the cross-section of the beam and receiving the beam for longitudinal movement therethrough; anti-friction bearings disposed between the lower side of said horizontal plate and the horizontal member on the support, and roller hearings in the socket disposed to carry the Weight of the beam and crossbar; and manually operable means for moving the beam in rapid and irregular reciprocating and arcuate motion including a handle attached to an end of the beam opposite to the crossbar.

2.. A device for training athletes comprising in combination a support; a target carrying member including a lightweight beam; a member mounted for arcuate movement on the support receiving the beam for reciprocating movement therethrough; at least one target carried by the target carrying member adjacent an end thereof; and manually operable. means for moving the beam in rapid and irregular reciprocating and arcuate motion including a handle at an end of the target carrying member opposite said target.

3. A device for training athletes including in combination a support; a target carrying member including a lightweight beam; means mounted on the support providing simultaneous reciprocating and arcuate movement of the beam including a member having a socket therein receiving the beam for reciprocating movement through the socket, said member being pivoted upon the support; at least one target attached to the target carrying member adjacent an end thereof; and manually operable means for moving the means in regular and reciprocating arcuate motion, including a handle attached to an end of the beam opposite the target.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

2. A DEVICE FOR TRAINING ATHLETES COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SUPPORT; A TARGET CARRYING MEMBER INCLUDING A LIGHTWEIGHT BEAM; A MEMBER MOUNTED FOR ARCUATE MOVEMENT ON THE SUPPORT RECEIVING THE BEAM FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT THERETHROUGH; AT LEAST ONE TARGET CARRIED BY THE TARGET CARRYING MEMBER ADJACENT AN END THEREOF; AND MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR MOVING THE BEAM IN RAPID AND IRREGULAR RECIPROCATING AND ARCUATE MOTION INCLUDING A HANDLE AT AN END OF THE TARGET CARRYING MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID TARGET. 